South Korea and US launch Freedom Shield 2024 drills in response to North Korean threats.

On March 4, 2024, CNN reported that South Korea and the United States commenced their annual joint military exercises, known as Freedom Shield 2024. These exercises, scheduled to last for 11 days, are designed to improve defensive readiness against potential threats from North Korea, integrating live exercises with constructive simulations. This collaboration is a coordinated effort between the United States Forces Korea (USFK) and South Korea's Defense Ministry.
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US Marines of the 1st Marine Division recently arrived in Osan, South Korea, for the Freedom Shield 24 exercise. (Picture source: US DoD)

The focus of the drills, according to statements from the USFK, is to incorporate insights from current global conflicts into training to enhance combat readiness and the combined defense posture, aiming to secure stability on the Korean Peninsula and across Northeast Asia. The exercises also extend to several smaller field training activities, concentrating on defense mechanisms through various domains such as air, land, sea, space, cyber, and special operations.

There has been no official response from North Korea regarding the current exercises. However, the regime has consistently criticized past US-South Korea joint military drills. Recently, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed a more confrontational stance towards South Korea, instructing his military to expedite war preparations due to what he perceives as provocative actions by the US.

Furthermore, North Korea has been enhancing its relations with Russia, particularly through military support for the conflict in Ukraine, which has led to speculation among Western analysts about potential reciprocal benefits, possibly affecting North Korea's missile development capabilities.

The Freedom Shield 24 exercise is aimed at reflecting the operational environment in the Korea Theater of Operations. It includes diverse training formats to improve interoperability and response capabilities of the Combined Forces Command, United Nations Command, and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff against a variety of security threats.

Participants in the exercise include service members from 12 different United Nations Command Member States. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission is also involved, observing the exercises in line with the Armistice Agreement obligations.

The drills underscore the ongoing military cooperation between South Korea and the US under the framework established by the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty and support for the Armistice Agreement. The exercises are intended to assess and enhance the combined defensive strategies of the participating forces.

In conjunction with FS24, the Eighth Army has initiated its component of the drills, conducting extensive joint training with the Republic of Korea Army. This includes multi-domain operations focusing on various security challenges. Additionally, forces from the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force have been deployed from the United States to South Korea to participate in FS24.